Question

Which of the following battles was fought between Maharani Tarabai and Shahu Maharaj?
(A) Battle of Khed
(B) Battle of Kolhapur
(C) Battle of Satara
(D) Battle of Chakan

Answer 1

Hint: Tarabai was the regent of the Maratha Empire of India from 1700-1708. The Mughals released Shahuji, Sambhaji’s son and Tarabai nephew in order to divide the Maratha onslaught.

Complete answer: Battle of Khed was fought between Maharani Tarabai and Shahu Maharaj. Shahu challenged Tarabai and Shivaji II for leadership of the Maratha polity. He eventually thanked his legal position and in between all the diplomacy, Tarabai was sidelined. She established a rival court in Kolhapur in 1709 but she was deposed and Sambhaji II was put on the throne by Rajasabai.
Tarabai and her son were then imprisoned by Sambhaji II. Afterwards, Tarabai reconciled with Chhatrapati Shahu in 1730 and went to start a life in Satara but without any political power.
Tarabai was born in 1675 and departed in 1761. She was the queen of Chhatrapati Rajaram Bhonsale, daughter-in-law of Shivaji and mother of Shivaji II. She was acclaimed for resisting against Mughal occupation of Marathas territories after the death of her spouse. She is known for her efforts for preservation of indigenous culture and is widely lauded for the same.
Shahu Bhosale was the 5th Chhatrapati of the Martha Empire and he was the grandson of Shivaji. He, along with his mother, were taken prisoner in 1689 by the Mughal sardar, Zulfikar Khan Nusrat Jang. Under his reign, Maratha power and influence extended to all corners of the Indian subcontinent and he was a powerful ruler of the Maratha kingdom.

Note: After the death of Shahu, power moved from ruling Chhatrapati to his ministers (the Peshwas) and the generals.